


Excerpts from Betty's diary

by lostinafictionaluniverse



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Betty's diary, F/M, First Person Narrative, Juggie's homelessness, Sexual Attraction, riverdale 1x04, sexual awakening
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-01 03:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinafictionaluniverse/pseuds/lostinafictionaluniverse
Summary: Set after Episode 1X04, these are 3 entries from Betty’s diary, two of which are to do with finding Juggie a place to stay and one in which she sees him shirtless and finds her thoughts spiraling out of control.





	

**Feb 20, 2017, 10:00 pm**

Dear Diary,

I’m so upset today. I feel so many things – anger, sorrow, frustration, horror– but mostly I just feel worthless and uselessly privileged and oh - helpless. Maybe not entirely helpless, because Juggie’s here now, in my room, taking a shower. I had somehow convinced him to come home with me and sneaked him into my room through the garden ladder. I had also sneaked him up my share of dinner (I pretended not to be hungry and mom and dad were too preoccupied to notice I hadn't touched anything on my plate) and the poor thing devoured it like he’d been starving for days. We were all so shocked when we found out he was homeless. Had been for a few days now since the drive-in had been razed to the ground. And it had come out so unexpectedly! If Kevin had not been playing some silly guessing game about who had what thing in what room at their home and Juggie had not inadvertently, being his usual sardonic self, let it slip out that he didn’t have one, they’d have never known. He’d been living at the drive-in and that’s why he was so keen on saving it! And I had thought he was just being annoyingly sentimental! Oh, why hadn’t he told me? Or Archie? Or anyone? Why had he distanced himself from all of us? 

I feel a surge of anger at him and then at myself. How could I have been so self-involved as to not have noticed what was going on with Juggie? How could Archie not have noticed? But yeah, Archie and Juggie had not been on speaking terms until very recently. Archie had that whole thing with Ms Grundy going on. He did have a lot on his plate. Probably we all did – what with Jason’s murder everything in its aftermath that was going on in the town. That was no excuse though. Juggie is my friend, and after what happened recently and the resulting awkwardness with Archie, my closest friend! I feel deeply ashamed at not being there for him! I’m gonna change all that! I’m determined to help Juggie, but he’s firm about not staying at my place in stealth. He says that would be wrong on all sorts of levels and my already crazy family would have something else to go crazy about if they found out, especially mom. It had been an uphill task, but I had persuaded him to stay in my room just for the night. Just for tonight.

He came out of the shower wearing his PJs and grinned at me awkwardly. I smiled back happily. He was going to be fine. We would all take care of him! Kevin had already asked him to spend a couple of nights and Ronnie was going to talk to her mom and see if Juggie could have the spare room. Archie and I had had a separate chat about the situation. We know he’s fiercely proud and wouldn’t accept charity. So we’d have to be very careful not to cross any lines. Archie was gonna ask his dad to talk to Juggie and have him stay over. Juggie needs a stable home, some place where he can stay and eat worry-free for the next few days, or longer, until he figures it all out. And I’m going to be there to help him do that.

He slips comfortably into my sleeping bag laid out on the floor and with a tired “’Night, Betts”, rolls over on his side and is asleep within seconds.

I’m still up watching him, he’s breathing evenly, looking more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him over the past few days. My heart is aching, with a strange protectiveness, like I would do anything to make sure this boy was okay. Of course, I would. He’s my friend! I was lost in thoughts of how hard it must’ve been for him and what he must’ve gone through while the rest of us were oblivious, wrapped up in our own frivolous troubles. Suddenly, my thing with Archie didn’t seem important at all! Right now, I’m on Mission Jughead Jones. And I will not rest till I make sure he’s fine. ****

* * *

 

**Feb 21, 2017              9 pm**

Dear Diary,

Juggie has a place to stay! Yayy!  Mr. Andrews came up to Juggie while we were all in our booth at Pop’s and insisted that he come stay with them. Juggie was reluctant at first, but Mr. Andrews wouldn’t take no for an answer. I’m so glad and my heart feels so much lighter and happier. I know he’s still troubled and tortured and not entirely comfortable. I also know he feels like he owes Archie and Mr. Andrews but I explained to him that he would’ve done the same for any of us.  

**11 pm**

Oh, and since I found out my mom reads you, diary (after that embarrassing scene with Ms Grundy and Archie), I’ve been hiding you – in a secret, secret place. Where mom would never think of looking for you! And I’m smiling evilly at my own clever subterfuge! Way to go, Betty girl!

 

* * *

 

**Feb 23, 2017   8:30 pm**

Dear Diary,

Something happened today, something so totally unexpected and intense that it totally blew me away. I don’t know how to begin. I’m not sure if I even should. Write anything down about what happened, that is. Because even now, hours after it happened, my heart cannot stop racing, my stomach has butterflies fluttering all around it, my cheeks are still flushed, my whole body feels like I’m running a fever. My emotions are all over the place. I don’t even know what I’m feeling but I’m certainly feeling a lot of —- feelings. God, my brain can’t even think of any coherent words that could make sense of it all!  And my hands are shaking as I’m writing this. I’m so so confused right now.  Perhaps writing it down will help me make some sense of it all. Here goes.

So this morning, I decided to go up to Archie’s just for a chat about stuff – Jason and other school stuff. It’s something I regularly do, and this time I was doubly excited because Juggie would be there too. We’ve not hung out a lot recently, just the three of us, like we used to, in the days before it all got so complicated, and I missed that. So I pulled on my denim shorts and a soft, pink sweater, skipping happily across. And ran into Mr. Andrews still working on sound-proofing his garage. I waved him a cheery Hi!. He asked me to go right up to Archie’s room informing me that Archie had gone off early that morning to a song-writing session with the Pussycats, but that Juggie was upstairs.

I ran up the stairs humming to myself and nonchalantly pushed the door open with a ,”Hey Jug-“ and stopped slack jawed. Because nothing had prepared me for what I saw. And nothing had prepared me for my instant, visceral reaction to the sight.

It was Juggie. He’d just stepped out of the shower, his dark, unruly hair wet and plastered to his face, some errant strands clinging to his forehead and flopping sexily over his eyes.  He was wearing nothing but a white terry towel slung low down on his waist. Droplets of water glistened over his face and his body and, _gulp_ , his chest. _Holy shit, when had he turned so buff?_ His hands were still tying the towel to his waist and I was helpless as my eyes refused to budge from the sight of his sexy body. _Sexy? Juggie?_  His boyishly masculine chest, broad and toned, muscles firm and rippling, his biceps looking admirably strong and toned - _Did he lift? Or do push-ups? I had never seen Jughead Jones doing anything of the sort-_ His flat stomach with a smattering of hair running down his front and disappearing into – _Oh My God!_ I felt my cheeks grow hotter but was powerless to command my eyes to look away as I found myself staring down at his bare feet and then back up at his bronzed skin and the tiny droplets running down the length of his perfectly toned body. 

I could do nothing but stare, my mouth was probably hanging open - _Were you drooling, Cooper?_ \- I had no idea what my face was doing. All I could feel was my entire body, including my face burning up. Dimly I could sense him looking at me saying something, his lips were moving, his head tilted in that endearing way of his, but my stupid, hormone-infused brain could register nothing. I had no idea how many seconds had passed. Or hours. I was simply rooted to the spot stupidly staring at him, helpless at my body’s reaction to his near-nakedness. I could feel something uncoil deep in the pit of my belly that I realized much later, was desire. My chest was constricted and my lungs felt like they were stripped of all air but the simple act of inhaling and exhaling didn’t seem as important to surviving as kissing Juggie did. _Whoa! Kissing Juggie? What?? No!_

I had never had such an immediate visceral reaction to a boy – not even Archie – and I’d seen him shirtless countless times. It confused me and I must have shown something of that confusion because Juggie looked concerned as he walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder, saying gently, “Hey, Betts. You okay? You’ve gone red”. Immediately my hands went up to my cheeks in reflex and I hastily tore my eyes off his body, looking up to his face. That dear, dear face! So handsome! _Handsome?_ Those deep blue eyes, looking straight at me – concern written all over them.  My breath hitched. And stupidly enough, the next thing I did was look at his lips. _Big mistake!_ Immediately my treacherous mind began calculating just how close we were standing and how easy it would be lean in just a little and place my lips over his, my body pressed to his perfect, near-naked one, my hands running over every inch of his exposed, delicious skin.

God, what was wrong with me??? I was so embarrassed! How could I be doing this?  This was my best friend! Almost like my brother. _No, Betty, not brother._ I was helpless as my body continued to betray my overpowering reaction to him. Then, all of a sudden his eyes widened in shock. I guess what was happening must have at last sunk in, and his reaction was immediate. He visibly staggered and took a few steps back, turned around and hurriedly pulled on the plaid shirt that was carelessly thrown over the armchair, mumbling something and reaching into his bag for his pants. That action finally shook some sense into my befuddled brain! I just whirled around and ran downstairs and out the door as fast as my legs could carry me, not knowing, not caring which way I went. I must have run like crazy, because soon my lungs couldn’t hold up any more. I gasped for breath and stopped, panting uncontrollably, my entire body aflame. And then turned around and ran right back home, my throat completely dry, sweat pouring out of every pore, legs hurting like the blazes, but body still on fire. I had no idea what to do. I ran into the shower and turned it on, letting the water flow over me, still fully clothed. I don’t know how long I stood there, just letting the cool water wash me, trying hard to fight the unwelcome thoughts that kept springing up - vivid, mental images of Juggie wrapped in a towel - confusing me, scaring me, overwhelming me. I slid down to the tub, clinging desperately to the comfort of the shower, blanking out everything except the feel of the cold water on my skin. It must have been a while when I was ready to step out and peel the wet clothes off me. I dried myself and changed and got you out, dear diary, to  write down my thoughts about what had happened. And now that I have and I’m reading through it, it makes even less sense. Its confusing me more than ever. All I know is how I felt. And I have no clue how I’m going to deal with it.

 

 


End file.
